Written Answers

Wednesday 3 January 2001

Scottish Executive

Agriculture

Alex Johnstone (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will introduce a Farm Business Advice Scheme similar to the one operated by Her Majesty's Government.

Ross Finnie: The Farm Business Advisory Service is designed to meet English needs. The Scottish Executive provides resources, amounting to around £5 million per annum, to the Scottish Agricultural College for the provision of advisory services to the agricultural sector on a wide range of services. Business advice to farm co-operatives is also provided from the Executive’s annual grant of £0.370 million to the Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society, and Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise through individual LECs help farmers with business advice. Future priorities for the provision of advice to the agricultural sector are being considered as part of the development of a Forward Strategy for Scottish Agriculture.

Agriculture

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what financial assistance for farm diversification is available in the Clydesdale constituency.

Ross Finnie: I hope to announce shortly the launch of a new grant scheme to assist farmers and their immediate family members who wish to create new income-generating enterprises or expand existing diversified activities, either on-farm or off-farm. The scheme will apply to the Clydesdale constituency area, and to all rural areas in lowland Scotland. A separate scheme for the Highlands and Islands was launched at the end of October.

Agriculture

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what new schemes of financial assistance for farmers in all sectors are available to farms within the Clydesdale parliamentary constituency.

Ross Finnie: Three new schemes of financial assistance for farmers opened for applications in December. These are the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme, the Rural Stewardship Scheme and the Pig Industry Restructuring Scheme (Outgoers element). The Agricultural Marketing and Processing Scheme, the Pig Industry Restructuring Scheme (Ongoers element) and a farm diversification scheme will open early next year. All of these schemes are available within the Clydesdale parliamentary constituency area.

Agriculture

John Scott (Ayr) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it intends to take under Article 16 of the rural development regulations (EC No 1257/1999) in relation to compensation payments for management restrictions imposed to obtain environmental or conservation benefits.

Ross Finnie: The provision of compensation, under Article 16 of the EU Rural Development Regulation, for farmers who are operating under environmental restrictions is not mandatory. Responses to our consultation exercises did not identify this measure as a priority for investment, and I have no plans to introduce it in Scotland. Instead, support is provided from the agri-environment programme for producers who wish to adopt farming practices compatible with environmental conservation and improvement.

Cancer

Mr Keith Raffan (Mid Scotland and Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the recommended optimum waiting time is for radiotherapy and what the current average waiting time is.

Susan Deacon: The Joint Council for Clinical Oncology recommended maximum waiting time for radiotherapy involving complex treatment planning is four weeks.

  At present waiting times for radiotherapy – the time between treatment being agreed and starting – ranges from less than one to a maximum of eight weeks.

  Cancer Centres give high priority to starting treatment as soon as possible after clinical decisions on treatment options have been made. Clinical need is the most important factor in deciding priority. Additional investment of £13.2 million in new and replacement linear accelerator equipment for radiotherapy is already being made. The first of the new equipment will come into use in April 2001. In August I announced a further £15 million for new MRI scanners and other equipment to help with the treatment of cancer.

  The Scottish Cancer Group is preparing a cancer plan for Scotland which will be published by March 2001. The plan will include new national targets for maximum waiting times.

Cancer

Mr Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many bowel cancer consultants there are in each health board area.

Susan Deacon: The information requested is not available centrally. Consultants treating patients with bowel cancer will be included under the specialty of general surgery.

Cancer

Mr Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people (a) were diagnosed with and (b) died from bowel cancer in each of the last five years in each health board area.

Susan Deacon: The numbers of incident cases registered and number of deaths, by health board residence for the period 1993-97 (the most recent year for which completed information is available) are as follows:

  


Health Board
  

1993
  

1994
  

1995
  

1996
  

1997
  



Regs.
  

Deaths
  

Regs.
  

Deaths
  

Regs.
  

Deaths
  

Regs.
  

Deaths
  

Regs.
  

Deaths
  



Argyll & Clyde
  

252
  

146
  

290
  

149
  

295
  

152
  

299
  

153
  

276
  

138
  



Ayrshire & Arran
  

203
  

138
  

225
  

112
  

231
  

117
  

280
  

128
  

267
  

119
  



Borders
  

93
  

67
  

63
  

33
  

84
  

44
  

112
  

46
  

95
  

53
  



Dumfries & Galloway
  

109
  

61
  

105
  

71
  

111
  

57
  

110
  

47
  

110
  

42
  



Fife
  

215
  

114
  

217
  

99
  

229
  

122
  

255
  

124
  

220
  

112
  



Forth Valley
  

159
  

105
  

165
  

107
  

153
  

80
  

184
  

87
  

164
  

92
  



Grampian
  

342
  

175
  

358
  

172
  

332
  

159
  

354
  

173
  

306
  

172
  



Greater Glasgow
  

581
  

320
  

605
  

308
  

621
  

328
  

654
  

309
  

560
  

298
  



Highland
  

165
  

66
  

153
  

73
  

136
  

69
  

161
  

79
  

181
  

73
  



Lanarkshire
  

255
  

158
  

263
  

155
  

261
  

166
  

293
  

163
  

315
  

173
  



Lothian
  

507
  

261
  

486
  

253
  

485
  

231
  

471
  

227
  

503
  

216
  



Orkney
  

9
  

6
  

9
  

4
  

14
  

8
  

14
  

9
  

9
  

8
  



Shetland
  

13
  

3
  

13
  

9
  

20
  

4
  

13
  

9
  

21
  

11
  



Tayside
  

304
  

158
  

294
  

163
  

288
  

159
  

327
  

165
  

303
  

147
  



Western Isles
  

28
  

12
  

23
  

12
  

16
  

12
  

26
  

10
  

28
  

16
  



Scotland
  

3,235
  

1,790
  

3,269
  

1,720
  

3,276
  

1,708
  

3,553
  

1,729
  

3,358
  

1,670

Central Heating

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many pensioner households have had whole house central heating installed since 1 May 1997 and how many it estimates will have had it installed by 1 May 2001.

Jackie Baillie: There are no figures for the period concerned. However the 1996 Scottish House Condition Survey estimated that 88,000 pensioner households did not have any form of central heating system. We estimate that about 18,000 of those will since have had central heating installed.

Cities

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the role and remit of the Deputy Minister for Finance and Local Government is in relation to the recently announced review of Scotland’s cities.

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what prompted its decision to launch a ministerial led review of Scotland’s cities.

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Inverness will be included in the recently announced review of Scotland’s cities.

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which of the Parliament’s committees it intends to invite to participate in the recently announced review of Scotland’s cities.

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what financial resources will be made available to carry out the recently announced review of Scotland’s cities.

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects the outcome of the recently announced review of Scotland’s cities to be presented to the Parliament.

Peter Peacock: Details of the review will be announced in the New Year.

Community Care

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what is being done to address the serious concerns about the standard of environment in many intensive psychiatric care units and the level of activity available to the group of patients concerned reported in the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland Annual Report 1999-2000.

Malcolm Chisholm: An additional £5 million has issued to health boards specifically for environmental improvements to mental health service accommodation. These new monies add to the available resources and signal the importance attached to creating modern facilities supporting modern services.

  Care regimes will continue to recognise the importance of increased social stimulation, life skills and social inclusion related activities for all with a mental illness.

Community Care

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in each health board area in implementing the recommendations contained in Health, Social Work and Related Services for Mentally Disordered Offenders in Scotland which relate to the care and treatment of patients progressing from the State Hospital, Carstairs.

Malcolm Chisholm: All the relevant care, judicial and custody agencies are working together to introduce services, accommodation and support that better reflect the national strategy objectives. Given the different starting points, full implementation has yet to be achieved across Scotland.

  Our National Health – A Plan for Action, A Plan for Change, confirms plans to publish an audit document to help all agencies identify their respective roles and to identify gaps in provision. Progress will be monitored and agencies will be invited to submit summary reports on progress in their respective areas.

Community Care

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what is being done to ensure that patients in intensive psychiatric care units (IPCUs) who no longer require the level of care provided by an IPCU are able to progress to more appropriate facilities for their care and treatment.

Malcolm Chisholm: New partnerships, new local services and new accommodation are being advanced across Scotland by all the relevant care, judicial and custody agencies against the framework for change set out in the published national strategy for general mental health services and the 1999 policy for safe forensic care.

  The first new facility arising from the forensic initiative, based in the grounds of the Royal Edinburgh Hospital opened in November this year.

Employment

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to address the economic impact of the possible loss of Ministry of Defence jobs following any privatisation of servicing, repair and monitoring of the nuclear facilities at the Faslane Naval Base.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive is in close contact with the Ministry of Defence and it will continue to monitor developments regarding proposals for naval base and dockyard rationalisation. The Ministry of Defence has stressed that no final decisions have been made.

Employment

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to reduce long-term unemployment in males aged 50-64 and females aged 50-59.

Ms Wendy Alexander: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1O-2597 on 30 November 2000.

Enterprise

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken in response to receivers having been called in at Donside Paper Company in Aberdeen.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Executive is aware of the receivers having been called in and is monitoring the situation. Scottish Executive and Scottish Enterprise officials will continue to work closely with the company.

  The Executive’s main concern is to ensure that everything possible is done to assist those members of the workforce affected should there be any job losses at the Donside facility.

Enterprise

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been taken to help the paper manufacturing industry compete against foreign competition.

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has a strategy to develop the paper manufacturing industry.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive set out its support for manufacturing industry in Created in Scotland – the way forward for Scottish Manufacturing in the 21st Century , published in March 2000. Progress on this support is published on the Scottish Executive website. The Scottish Executive and the Enterprise Network are in regular contact with individual companies to provide support to enable companies become more competitive. Scottish Enterprise and the Forest Industries Development Council published in October 2000 a strategic framework for action for the forest industries cluster in Scotland.

Enterprise

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many meetings it has had with representatives of the paper manufacturing industry and what action has been taken as a result of any such meetings.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive and the Enterprise Network are in regular contact with companies in the paper sector and provide a range of support as appropriate.

Enterprise

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many meetings it has had with Her Majesty's Government to discuss those policies that impact on the paper manufacturing industry.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the United Kingdom Government on a wide range of issues including those that impact on the paper manufacturing industry.

Enterprise

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the value of the paper manufacturing industry was to (a) the Scottish economy and (b) the rural economy, in terms of employment and GDP, in each of the last five years.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Latest available information on employment in the paper industry is for 1998 from the Annual Employment Survey. This survey has collected information of employment since 1995. The table shows the total number of employee jobs, and the proportion of all jobs accounted for by the paper industry. It gives these estimates for Scotland, and separately for rural Scotland.

  Employee jobs in pulp, paper and paper product industries

  


 


Scotland
  

Rural Scotland
  



 


Employee jobs
  

% of all jobs
  

Employee jobs
  

% of all jobs
  



1995
  

10,000
  

0.5%
  

2,000
  

0.4%
  



1996
  

10,800
  

0.5%
  

1,500
  

0.3%
  



1997
  

11,900
  

0.6%
  

2,000
  

0.4%
  



1998
  

11,200
  

0.6%
  

1,600
  

0.3%
  



  Source: Annual Employment Survey, Office for National Statistics.

  Latest figures on GDP are from the 1996 input-output tables for Scotland. These show that in 1996, the paper industry contributed £451 million to the Scottish economy. This represents 0.8% of total GDP. Figures for rural Scotland are not held centrally.

Enterprise

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many paper manufacturing facilities there are in Scotland, where they are located and how many people are employed at each facility, giving figures for each of the last three years in each case.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Information on the current local authority basis is available for 1996 and 1997 and is given below. The figures for total employment represent the average number of full and part-time employees on the payroll during the year and include working proprietors.

  1996

  


Unitary Authority 



No. of Units 



Total Employment
  (000) 




Aberdeen City
  

19
  

2.4
  



Dumfries & Galloway 



4
  

0.2
  



Dundee City
  

7
  

0.1
  



East Dunbartonshire
  

8
  

0.2
  



Edinburgh, City 
  of
  

17
  

0.6
  



Falkirk
  

9
  

0.3
  



Fife
  

12
  

1.7
  



Glasgow, City of 
  
  

29
  

0.9
  



Inverclyde
  

5
  

0.1
  



North Ayrshire
  

6
  

0.5
  



North Lanarkshire
  

17
  

0.7
  



Renfrewshire
  

7
  

0.3
  



South Lanarkshire
  

14
  

0.6
  



West Lothian
  

8
  

0.5
  



Rest of Scotland3


43
  

2.5
  



TOTAL
  

205
  

11.8
  



  1997

  


Unitary Authority 



No. of Units 



Total Employment 
  (000) 




Aberdeen City
  

17
  

1.9
  



Dumfries & Galloway 



4
  

0.2
  



Dundee City
  

9
  

0.2
  



East Dunbartonshire
  

7
  

0.2
  



Edinburgh, City of
  

20
  

0.6
  



Falkirk
  

7
  

0.3
  



Fife
  

14
  

2.3
  



Glasgow, City of 
  

22
  

0.6
  



Inverclyde
  

4
  

0.1
  



North Ayrshire
  

6
  

0.5
  



North Lanarkshire
  

14
  

0.6
  



Renfrewshire
  

12
  

0.2
  



South Lanarkshire
  

17
  

0.8
  



West Lothian
  

7
  

0.5
  



Rest of Scotland3


41
  

2.5
  



TOTAL
  

201
  

11.6
  



  Source: Scottish Production Database.

  Notes:

  1. Totals may not sum due to rounding.

  2. Figures relate to Standard Industrial Classification 21 – "Manufacture of pulp, paper and paper products".

  3. Data for "Rest of Scotland" has been aggregated together to prevent disclosure of data relating to individual units.

Enterprise

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many tonnes of raw materials the paper manufacturing industry imported in each of the last three years and what the value of such imports was in each of these years.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Latest available figures on paper manufacturing imports are from the 1996 Scottish Input-Output Tables. The total value of imports by the paper manufacturing industry was £403 million in 1996. This includes both imports from the rest of the UK (£228 million) and imports from the rest of the world (£175 million). Figures include imports of all goods and services required for the production process.

  Data are not held centrally on the quantity of imports in tonnes.

Enterprise

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the raw materials used by the paper manufacturing industry in each of the last three years was imported, expressed in each case as a percentage of the total raw materials used in (a) tonnage and (b) value terms.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Latest available figures on paper manufacturing imports are from the 1996 Scottish Input-Output Tables. During 1996 the paper industry imported 46.6% (£403million) of its intermediate purchases from the rest of the UK (26.4%) and the rest of the world (20.2%). Intermediate purchases include all goods and services required for the production process.

  Data are not held centrally on the quantity of imports in tonnes.

Enterprise

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the finished paper products exported from Scotland in each of the last three years was exported to (a) the rest of the UK, (b) Europe and (c) the rest of the world, expressed in each case as a percentage of total exports in (i) tonnage and (ii) value terms.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Latest available figures on the export of paper products are from the 1996 Scottish Input-Output Tables. Scotland exported £1,118 million of paper products in 1996 - 49% to the rest of the UK and 51% to the rest of the world.

  Data are not held centrally on the quantity of exports in tonnes or on exports to Europe.

Environment

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the remit is of the expert scientific group set up by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency to examine the issue of radioactive particles found on the foreshore at Dounreay, when the group will conclude its examination and whether this work will be published.

Mr Sam Galbraith: The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) formed the Dounreay Particles Advisory Group (DPAG) in May 2000. The remit of the group is to provide impartial scientific advice on the current United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) research programme in respect of particles in the Dounreay local environment.

  No date has been determined for the completion of the group’s work, although progress reports will be published at relevant intervals. The group intends to publish its first progress report in January 2001.

  SEPA intends to commission two studies on the particles issue. These studies will consider the public health implications of fragments and the post-ingestion uptake of fragments by humans. The group will contribute to the outcome of this research.

Ferry Services

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, in relation to article 1.1(b) of the tri-partite agreement between Lombard Corporate Finance Ltd, Northlink Orkney and Shetland Ferries Ltd and the Scottish Ministers as set out in schedule 2 of the draft undertaking by the Scottish Ministers under section 2(1) of the Highlands and Islands Shipping Services Act 1960, what criteria will be used to decide who is "financially robust" and which incoming operators it considers at present meet those criteria.

Sarah Boyack: The Executive wishes to ensure that any incoming operator in future is financially robust (or guaranteed by another entity to be financially robust) to perform the approved services. The criteria to determine whether an incoming operator is financially robust will be made clear as part of the next tendering exercise. It is not possible at this stage to specify in advance which incoming operators would meet any criteria set.

Food Safety

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many environmental health certificates have been issued to raw meat and butchery outlets and what percentage this figure represents of the total number of outlets (a) across Scotland and (b) within the area covered by the former Strathclyde Regional Council.

Susan Deacon: I have been advised by the Food Standards Agency that raw meat only butchers do not require to be licensed, only those shops selling both raw unwrapped meat and ready to eat foods must be licensed.

  1,186 licenses have been issued. This represents 86% of the total number across Scotland.

Food Safety

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what information is available to butcher licensing authorities on the number of raw meat and butchery outlets which are subject to the new licensing scheme.

Susan Deacon: I have been advised by the Food Standards Agency that local authorities are responsible for issuing licenses to premises that qualify under the Regulations.

  Food Businesses require to be licensed under the Food Premises (Registration) Regulations 1991; therefore all local authorities are fully aware of the number of outlets which require to be licensed within their area. Council officials currently inspect businesses to ensure compliance with the Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) Regulations 1995.

Food Safety

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether halal or kosher meat outlets are subject to the same licensing requirements as other raw meat and butchery outlets and whether they are included in the total number of raw meat and butchery outlets subject to the new business licensing scheme.

Susan Deacon: I have been advised by the Food Standards Agency that the same licensing conditions apply to halal and kosher meat outlets. All retailers engaged in the handling of unwrapped raw meat and its subsequent sale, together with ready to eat foods require to be licensed by their local authority.

Food Safety

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the trading status is of a raw meat or butchery outlet which has either failed to apply for a butcher licence or failed to satisfy the new butcher licensing scheme criteria.

Susan Deacon: I have been advised by the Food Standards Agency that raw meat only butchers do not require to be licensed, only those shops selling both raw unwrapped meat and ready to eat foods must be licensed. Licensing of premises is carried out by the local authority.

  A proprietor continuing to sell both unwrapped raw meat together with ready to eat foods who has failed to apply for a licence is committing an offence under the Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) (Butchers Shops) Amendment (Scotland) Regulations 2000 and is therefore liable for prosecution.

  A premises that has failed to satisfy the licensing criteria has the right to appeal to the Sheriff.

Food Safety

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many raw meat and butchery outlets have failed to either apply for a butcher licence or to satisfy the new butcher licensing scheme criteria (a) across Scotland and (b) within the area covered by the former Strathclyde Regional Council.

Susan Deacon: I have been advised by the Food Standards Agency that raw meat only butchers do not require to be licensed, only those shops selling both raw unwrapped meat and ready to eat foods must be licensed.

  1,186 licenses have been issued to those who have applied for a license. This represents 86% of the total number across Scotland.

Food Safety

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost is so far to local authorities of implementing the new butcher licensing scheme and how much revenue has been raised from the licensing fees, broken down by local authority.

Susan Deacon: I have been advised by the Food Standards Agency that the £100 fee is intended to cover the full cost of administrating each licence application including the collection of the fee itself, which accounts for a small proportion of the cost.

  The licensing scheme will build on the existing local food safety control systems where council officials currently inspect businesses to ensure compliance with the Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) Regulations 1995.

Food Safety

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to simplify the paperwork that butchers are required to complete in connection with the butcher licensing scheme and to ensure a consistent interpretation of the legislative requirements by all local authorities.

Susan Deacon: I have been advised by the Food Standards Agency that there are no steps at present to change the paperwork that butchers are required to complete in connection with the Butchers licensing Scheme.

  Guidance notes were issued by both the Food Standards Agency Scotland and by the Scottish Food Co-ordinating Committee to ensure a consistent interpretation of the legislative requirements by all local authorities.

Fuel Prices

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the domestic fuel oil price rise of over 100% in the last 18 months has had on its social inclusion strategy.

Jackie Baillie: The Social Justice Strategy commits the Executive to the elimination of child poverty; to full employment by providing opportunities for all those who can work; to securing dignity in old age and to building strong, inclusive communities. These commitments remain unaffected by changes in the price of commodities.

Fuel Prices

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the domestic fuel oil price rise of over 100% in the last 18 months has had on the budgets of local authorities.

Peter Peacock: We do not hold this level of detail centrally.

Health

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it will take to ensure the prudent use of antibiotics in order to maximise their effectiveness for patients.

Susan Deacon: The need for concerted action in this area was highlighted in the House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology’s Report Resistance to Antibiotics and other Microbial Agent . In response, the UK Government gave a commitment to develop a comprehensive UK Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy and in line with this, a UK strategy document was issued earlier this year.

  In order to provide further focus on action in Scotland, a draft Action Plan for Scotland was issued for consultation at the same time. This covers three key inter-related elements namely surveillance, prudent antimicrobial use in human, animal and agricultural practice, and infection control. The Action Plan is currently being reviewed in the light of the comments received as part of this exercise and a revised version will be issued to a wide range of interests in due course.

  Also, in December 1999, as the first phase of an education campaign, the Executive launched publicity materials to further raise awareness of this issue. These included posters and leaflets that were circulated widely to GP practices, dental practitioners and pharmacists to help bring the issue to the attention of the general public. On 20 December this year, this message was reinforced at a press conference to increase public awareness of the problem.

  The Scottish Executive Health Department is advised in this area by the Advisory Group on Infection. The Advisory Group has set up a sub-group on Hospital Acquired Infection and Antimicrobial Resistance, which is currently considering a framework for antimicrobial resistance surveillance systems in Scotland.

Hepatitis C

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average annual cost is of treatment of a hepatitis C victim.

Susan Deacon: Information about the total cost to the NHS of treating patients with hepatitis C infection is not collected centrally.

  Combination antiviral therapy using interferon alpha and ribavirin is proving a successful treatment in certain cases of hepatitis C infection. However, treatment has unpleasant side effects, is expensive and there is currently a clinical debate about its effectiveness. The cost of such therapy for six months is approximately £5,000.

Hepatitis C

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent in 1999-2000 on (a) education about, (b) screening for and (c) treatment of hepatitis C.

Susan Deacon: There is no national screening programme in Scotland for hepatitis C. Information about the cost of preventive health education and treatment provided by individual NHS Trusts and health boards is not collected centrally.

Higher Education

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much money was paid by the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council to the Joint Information Systems Committee in each year since 1997; how these figures were calculated by the council and by each university; whether any representations were made regarding the amounts paid, and how much was used directly for research in each year.

Ms Wendy Alexander: This is a matter for the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council. The information requested is not held centrally.

Higher Education

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the budget for higher education proposed in the Comprehensive Spending Review will be increased should Bell College and/or the University of the Highlands and Islands become the responsibility of the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council for future funding; if so, what the level of any increase would be and, if the funding is not to be increased, what reduction there would be in funding per institution.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The funding proposals for the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council previously announced take into account the possibility of these designations. In addition, there will be a further increase in the funding proposed for the SHEFC when Bell College and the UHI are designated as higher education institutions as a result of a transfer of funds from the Scottish Further Education Funding Council. The level of that increase will be dependent on a number of factors including the timing of that happening and the agreed numbers of funded places.

Higher Education

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding guidance it has given or plans to give the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council regarding the current pay dispute with university staff over lecturers’ pay; whether any such guidance will be the same as that issued by the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, and what discussions it has had with the Secretary of State on this guidance and on the settlement of the dispute.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Pay negotiations are a matter for employers and the representatives of employees in the higher education sector. The Scottish Higher Education Funding Council is not an employer body nor does it take part in pay negotiations for the sector. I have had no discussions with the Secretary of State for Education and Employment on this matter nor has guidance on the handling of the current pay dispute been issued by the Secretary of State or the Executive.

  In my guidance letter of 23 November to SHEFC, I emphasised the need for the sector to improve human resource policies and management recognising that staff are our key resource. I believe the funding proposals for SHEFC provide sufficient headroom to increase the unit of funding to institutions to help them address modernisation issues such as management and leadership, progressive human resource policies and maintain the quality of teaching and learning.

Higher Education

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the current funding settlement for further education colleges includes an element for increasing salaries and wages in line with inflation and, if so, what percentage increase is assumed.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The resources for further education announced in the Spending Review 2000 contain no such specific element. Salaries and wages in further education colleges are a matter for individual Boards of Management to determine.

Hospitals

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many hospital beds are currently available within the Clydesdale parliamentary constituency and how many will be in 12 months time.

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the nearest acute and maternity hospitals will be to (a) Abington, (b) Crawford, (c) Leadhills, (d) Lanark, (e) Carluke and (f) Biggar by the end of 2001.

Susan Deacon: This is an operational matter for Lanarkshire Health Board and the NHS Trust. I have asked the Chairman of the health board to write with the details sought. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

Hospitals

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the NHSiS plans to rent military hospitals from Marshall of Cambridge to help ease any pressure from winter illnesses.

Susan Deacon: The NHS in Scotland has informed us of no such plans.

Influenza

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive (a) what the percentage take-up of the flu vaccine is to date in the target groups and (b) how long before exposure to the flu virus people should be vaccinated for the vaccination to be effective.

Malcolm Chisholm: 701 (66.5%) of all general practices in Scotland have so far responded to requests for influenza immunisation uptake data for the 65-year-old and over at risk group up to the end of November. From the responses received, 62% (365,526) of the total number of patients aged 65 and over within those practices which responded (589,717) had received the vaccine. On the basis of these figures, the Scotland-wide target of 60% uptake has been achieved.

  Influenza immunisation is also recommended for patients under 65 years of age with chronic illnesses that put them at higher risk of serious illness from influenza. There are no reliable statistics for the size of this group and uptake data are not available.

  For NHS and social care staff, Trusts and boards have been asked to provide figures on uptake in due course.

  Influenza vaccine should be administered at least 10-14 days prior to exposure if maximum protection is to be achieved.

Justice

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any circumstances whereby an individual may defer an alternative sentence of imprisonment to a time of their choosing and whether any of these circumstances apply in respect of Tommy Sheridan MSP.

Iain Gray: No.   The enforcement of fines imposed by a particular court is a matter for that court.

Justice

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Members of the Scottish Parliament are afforded any dispensations under the criminal justice system not available to those whom they represent.

Iain Gray: No Member of the Scottish Parliament is afforded any dispensation under the criminal justice system.

MMR Vaccine

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the current cost is per child of the MMR vaccine.

Susan Deacon: The total cost per child including staff time and materials is not quantified. The NHS List Price of the vaccine ranges from £4.45 per dose to £5.21 per dose depending on the manufacturer. The NHS receives a discount on this price depending on volume.

MMR Vaccine

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the current MMR vaccine used by the NHS is the same kind and type as that authorised for use in the USA and which manufacturers are used as suppliers of the vaccine, broken down by health board.

Susan Deacon: There are currently two brands of MMR vaccine available on the UK contract for childhood vaccines: PRIORIX (PL 10592/0110) manufactured by SmithKline Beecham and MMRII (PL 06745/0076) manufactured by Merck & Co UK and supplied by Aventis Pasteur MSD. Both brands have been supplied to the NHS in Scotland but it is not possible to provide a breakdown by health board.

  The Medicines Control Agency has advised that of these two vaccines, MMRII (PL 10592/0110) is identical to that supplied by the manufacturer Merck to the USA market. As far as they can ascertain, Priorix is not authorised for use in the USA at the present time.

MMR Vaccine

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which attenuated viruses are used in the creation of the MMR vaccine and for which diseases.

Susan Deacon: There are two MMR vaccines on the UK contract for childhood vaccines at the present time. The constituents of these vaccines are:

  Aventis Pasteur MSD MMR –11 (PL 06745/0076)

  Virus Measles live attenuated (Enders line of attenuated Edmonston strain)

  Virus Mumps live attenuated (Jeryl Lynn B level strain)

  Virus Rubella live attenuated (Wistar RA 27/3 strain)

  SmithKline Beecham Priorix (PL 10592/0110)

  Virus Measles live attenuated (Schwartz strain)

  Virus Mumps live attenuated (RIT 4385 derived from Jeryl Lynn strain)

  Virus Rubella live attenuated (Wistar RA 27/3 strain)

Ministers

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the European and external affairs responsibilities are of the Minister for Education, Europe and External Affairs; whether there is any concordat or agreement regarding the Minister’s interaction with Her Majesty's Government in relation to those responsibilities, and in what areas the Minister has devolved and executively devolved responsibilities or acts jointly with the (a) Department of Trade and Industry and (b) Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Henry McLeish: Many of the devolved   matters for which   Scottish Ministers are responsible have a European Union (EU) or international dimension. The concordats on EU and international issues provide that Scottish Ministers pursue these interests within the framework of policy on EU and international matters for which the UK Government has overall responsibility.

  The Minister for Education, Europe and External Affairs and his Deputy support me and the Deputy First Minister in co-ordinating the Executive’s interest in issues relating to these EU and international aspects of devolved business. In doing so the Ministers work closely with various Departments of the UK Government.

New Deal

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-2657 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 7 December 2000, how many of the 21,800 sustained jobs secured through the New Deal for Young People were secured through the Gateway stage.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Employment policy is reserved to the UK Government which takes the lead on the New Deal. In Scotland it does this in partnership with the Scottish Executive and contributing organisations.

  Figures to end-October show that 14,300 (66%) of the 21,800 sustained jobs secured through the New Deal for Young People were through the Gateway stage of the programme.

New Deal

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average cost per participant in the New Deal for Young People has been to date.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Employment policy is reserved to the UK Government which takes the lead on the New Deal. In Scotland it does this in partnership with the Scottish Executive and contributing organisations.

  The average cost per participant in the New Deal for Young People is around £2,000.

New Deal

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many young people to date have entered into the (a) voluntary, (b) environmental task force and (c) full-time education/training options in the New Deal for Young People and how many did not complete their chosen option.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Employment policy is reserved to the UK Government which takes the lead on the New Deal. In Scotland it does this in partnership with the Scottish Executive and contributing organisations.

  Figures to end-October show that 5,050 young people had entered the voluntary sector option, 5,590 had entered the environmental task force option and 9,530 had entered the full-time education and training option.

  Comprehensive information on whether young people left their options having completed them or before having done so is not collected in that form. The New Deal aims to help unemployed people to move as quickly as possible from welfare into unsubsidised employment. Many young people will leave their New Deal options before completing them because they have found jobs in the regular labour market and are no longer unemployed. Young people do not therefore need to complete their New Deal options in order to succeed in the programme.

New Deal

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent on the New Deal for Young People in Scotland to date and what proportion of the entire New Deal for Young People budget this figure represents.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Employment policy is reserved to the UK Government which takes the lead on the New Deal. In Scotland it does this in partnership with the Scottish Executive and contributing organisations.

  The expenditure on the New Deal 18-24 programme in Scotland to November 2000 was £75.5 million This represents 8.72% of the GB New Deal 18-24 programme spend.

Nursing

Mr Keith Raffan (Mid Scotland and Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many nurses have left their jobs in Scotland to work in other countries in each of the last three years.

Mr Keith Raffan (Mid Scotland and Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many nurses from other countries have come to work in the NHSiS in each of the last three years, in total and broken down by country.

Mr Keith Raffan (Mid Scotland and Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many critical care nurses have (a) joined and (b) left the NHSiS in each of the last three years.

Susan Deacon: This information is not held centrally.

Nursing

Mr Keith Raffan (Mid Scotland and Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the current average age of nurses is in the NHSiS.

Susan Deacon: At 30 September 1999, the average (mean) age of nurses who were directly employed by the NHSiS and had substantive posts was 38.9 years.

Nursing

Mr Keith Raffan (Mid Scotland and Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the current male:female ratio is of nurses in the NHSiS.

Susan Deacon: At 30 September 1999, the ratio of male to female nurses was 1:9.

Nursing

Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many consultant nurse posts it plans to create and what the timescale is for the funding, establishment and filling of these posts.

Susan Deacon: Initially, 12 nurse and midwife consultant posts are being established in Scotland. Three of these consultants are already in post.

  A further nine posts were announced on 5 December and recruitment to these will take place shortly.

  It is our intention to review the contribution of these posts to patient care and then make plans for a further roll out.

Planning

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions or meetings it has held with representatives of City of Edinburgh Council regarding the planning application for the development of greenfield land adjacent to Edinburgh for a possible film studio and whether it has any plans to meet with council representatives to discuss the application and its progress once the council starts its inquiry into the application.

Mr Sam Galbraith: No planning application has been submitted for the development of greenfield land adjacent to Edinburgh for a possible film studio. The Scottish Executive has not held any discussions or meetings with representatives of the City of Edinburgh Council to discuss such an application nor does it have any plans to do so.

Planning

Nick Johnston (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-9907 by Sarah Boyack on 5 October 2000, when the announcement regarding councils’ performance in planning development will be made.

Mr Sam Galbraith: The 3rd annual report of the Planning Audit Unit will be published in January 2001.

  In the meantime I have announced that during 2001 the Planning Audit Unit will undertake three further audits: at Falkirk, North Ayrshire and Perth and Kinross Councils. These audits will examine both the development control and development planning functions of the councils concerned.

Rail Network

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-8830 by Sarah Boyack on 11 December 2000, how MSPs will be notified when its directions and guidance to the Strategic Rail Authority are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive will formally notify the Scottish Parliament of the publication of its directions and guidance in the usual manner. At the same time a copy of the directions and guidance will be placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

Rail Services

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to paragraph 1.4.4 of Strategic Priorities for Scotland’s Passenger Railway , whether and how it will ensure that the quality of rolling stock used to service rural and less profitable lines will be of the same standard as that used on more profitable and popular lines once the existing Scottish rail franchise has been replaced.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive will seek to ensure through a new Scottish passenger rail franchise that the rolling stock for rural services will be of a high standard.

Rail Services

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to paragraph 1.4.9 of Strategic Priorities for Scotland’s Passenger Railway , what processes it has in place to ensure that it is made aware of what the priorities of rail users are in rural areas such as Dumfries and Galloway, in order to represent them to the Strategic Rail Authority.

Sarah Boyack: The publication of the Scottish Executive’s consultation document Strategic Priorities for Scotland’s Passenger Railway provides a major opportunity for all those interested in the development of Scotland’s railway network to express their aspirations.

  Sections 1.4 and 0 3.6 of the paper outline ways in which the Scottish Executive and the railway industry in Scotland should engage with those proposing rail developments.

Rail Services

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to paragraph 1.4.14 of Strategic Priorities for Scotland’s Passenger Railway , what mechanisms it has in place to ensure that the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) is managing expenditure efficiently and effectively and what options it has available to it should the SRA not fulfil this role.

Sarah Boyack: Grant-in-aid from the Scottish Executive to the SRA in support of the Scottish passenger rail franchise will be subject to appropriate systems of audit and accountability.

Rail Services

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to paragraph 2.1.2 of Strategic Priorities for Scotland’s Passenger Railway , what the circumstances are where it considers the advantages of rail transport to be the greatest.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive has outlined its understanding of what it considers to be the advantages of passenger rail transport in part three of its consultation document Strategic Priorities for Scotland’s Passenger Railway .

Rail Services

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to paragraph 2.1.3 of Strategic Priorities for Scotland’s Passenger Railway , what the increase in passenger numbers and services has been.

Sarah Boyack: Since the franchise was let in April 1997, ScotRail has reported an eight million increase (15%) in annual passenger journeys (53.4 million in April 1997 to 61.4 million in September 2000). There has been a significant number of service enhancements across the Scottish network. Some, like the introduction of the 15 minute interval service between Edinburgh and Glasgow (leading to a 23% increase in passengers during the first year of operation), are franchise commitments. Others, such as additional services on the Nith Valley line, have been the consequence of commercial decisions made by the company. In addition, the Scottish Executive has provided revenue support to Fife Council to secure an increase of 300 seats at the morning peak on the Fife Circle.

Renewable Energy

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will encourage the development of community wind power schemes as well as commercial ones.

Mr Sam Galbraith: Under the last round of the Scottish Renewables Obligation in 1997, special provision was made to encourage the development of small, community-scale clusters of wind turbines. I recently launched a consultation document on a new renewables support mechanism for Scotland, the Renewables Obligation (Scotland). This will place an obligation on all electricity suppliers to supply a specified proportion of electricity from qualifying renewable sources, subject to the cost to the consumer being acceptable. We wish to explore the possibilities for more community-scale renewable energy schemes in Scotland, and have asked for views on this point.

Roads

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how the ownership of unadopted roads subject to public vehicular and pedestrian use is identified.

Sarah Boyack: Under the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984, a road (which by definition is any way over which there is a public right of passage) can either be a public road or a private road. If it is a public road, responsibility for managing and maintaining it rests with the relevant local authority and it will be included on a list of roads which the authority is required to keep under this Act. Where a road is private, and thus unadopted by the local authority, responsibility for its maintenance rests with the owners of any land or property situated alongside the road (the frontagers).

  Details relating to the ownership of land, including unadopted roads, are contained in the property registers administered by the Registers of Scotland Executive Agency.

Roads

Ms Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive why there is now no trunk road from Dalkeith to Edinburgh.

Sarah Boyack: Prior to 1996, the A68/A7 trunk roads provided a route between Dalkeith and the historic City of Edinburgh boundary which lay within the A720 Edinburgh City Bypass. Following a review of the trunk road network in 1996 the bypass was trunked and all the roads within the bypass became the responsibility of the new councils. This was in line with the principles of the review that the road user should be provided with a coherent and continuous system of routes which serve destinations of importance to industry, commerce, agriculture and tourism and that those roads which were of predominantly local importance should be managed locally.

Rural Affairs

Mr Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people in rural Scotland were living in poverty in each of the last five years.

Ross Finnie: There is no trend data available on the number of people in poverty in rural Scotland. An analysis of a sample of the 1991 Census by the Scottish Office Central Research Unit estimated that there were 46,000 "multiply deprived" households in rural areas (8% of all rural households).

  We are committed to improving our ability to measure poverty and deprivation across Scotland and we will give careful consideration to the findings of the Rural Poverty and Inclusion Working Group, which is working on indicators of rural poverty.

Sexual Offences

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many prosecutions there have been in Scotland under the Sex Offenders Act of people who have committed offences outwith the United Kingdom.

Colin Boyd QC: The information requested is not available.

Shipbuilding

Colin Campbell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it plans to take to ensure that ship design capability in Scotland will be able to meet demand in the future.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Shipbuilding companies in Scotland, many of which have a world-wide reputation for their design capability, are best placed to decide how to meet future demand for ship design. Shipbuilders are supported by world-class shipbuilding departments at several Scottish Universities.

Smoking

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many smoking cessation clinics have been set up and whether it will list them by health board area.

Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive does not hold comprehensive information in relation to health boards’ smoking cessation services. As indicated in Our National Health , a plan for action, a plan for change , we will be reviewing the availability of support services for people who wish to quit smoking. To this end health boards will shortly be asked to provide information about their smoking cessation activities.

Smoking

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which health boards only prescribe Zyban as part of a smoking cessation programme which includes attendance at a smoking cessation clinic.

Susan Deacon: This information is not available centrally. Health boards determine their prescribing policy on medicines, taking into account local needs and advice from their Drugs and Therapeutics Committees.

Telecommunications

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to Her Majesty's Government, OFTEL or telecommunications companies regarding the practicalities of local loop unbundling throughout Scotland and its impact on the Executive’s policy on the promotion of information and communication technologies and on the business sector and economy of Scotland.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive has no function in relation to the condition inserted in BT’s licence that mandates local loop unbundling. However, the Executive holds discussions with the UK Government and other organisations, including OFTEL as necessary. The Executive also has regular meetings with BT Scotland on a range of issues, including local loop unbundling. We anticipate that the effect of local loop unbundling for Scotland, as in the rest of the UK, will be a significant increase in the level of competition in the marketplace, resulting in more choice, improved services and reduced costs for residential and business customers.

Telecommunications

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-8630 by Henry McLeish on 31 July 2000, what progress has been made in discussions with telecommunications companies on plans for the provision of broadband technology.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Officials in the Executive undertook a round of informal discussions with telecommunications companies on their plans for the provision of broadband technology. Further consultations have recently taken place at a UK level. We are in close contact with Whitehall departments to ensure co-ordination of policy.

Water Charges

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many households will qualify for the proposed scheme to cap water charges in each council tax band, expressed as a percentage of the number of properties in each band, broken down by local authority area.

Mr Sam Galbraith: The number of households that will qualify for assistance under the proposed scheme will depend on the charges levied by each of the water authorities in the coming year and the level at which any cap is set. As the charge levels have yet to be set and proposals for the scheme are still out to consultation it is not presently possible to identify the actual number of households that will qualify. It is however anticipated that at least 100,000 households throughout Scotland will receive assistance under the proposed scheme.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Scottish Parliament Commissioner for Administration

Mr Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body receives detailed audited accounts of the office of the Scottish Parliament Commissioner for Administration and, if so, whether these will be published on an annual basis.

Sir David Steel: The SPCB does not receive detailed audited accounts of the Scottish Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration.

  The Office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration and Health Service Commissioners produces an annual gross Appropriation and Resource Account for all their work, which includes Scotland and Wales. These accounts are audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General. The Office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration and Health Service Commissioners prepare a separate resource account of the work of the Scottish Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration. This will be available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre in the near future.

  This practice will continue until more permanent arrangements are put in place for the Scottish Parliamentary Ombudsman. The Scottish Executive is currently undertaking consultation on this issue.